vrijdag 13 augustus 2010

Google en aptocracy

America, Walter Kirn writes, is run by "Aptocrats." These are people who excel at regimented procedures such as standardized tests and other forms of numerically quantifiable achievement. They conform to regimented expectations of excellence and clearly see every rung they must ascend on the ladder of success. "As defined by the institutions responsible for spotting and training America's brightest youth, this 'aptitude' is a curious quality," Kirn writes. "It doesn't reflect the knowledge in your head, let alone the wisdom in your soul, but some quotient of promise and raw mental agility thought to be crucial to academic success and, by extension, success in general. All of this makes for a self-fulfilling prophecy. The more aptitude that a young person displays, the more likely it is that she or he will have a chance to win the golden tickets--fine diplomas, elite appointments and so on--that permit you to lead the Aptocratic establishment and set the terms by which it operates."